November 1907

This lithograph calendar page was made by Theodorus van Hoytema, and it really caught my eye with its interesting texture, its muted palette and its playful composition. The artist uses mark-making to create a dreamy landscape scene above the calendar grid. The contrast of dark and light tones creates depth and a sense of atmosphere, setting a melancholic mood. Looking closely, you can see the texture of the lithographic crayon coming through, how he creates dark forms with very subtle variation. There’s a softness to the application, almost like chalk, that gives the scene a kind of ethereal quality. It’s a bit like the Symbolist Odilon Redon, with its dreamlike imagery. The calendar grid below is rendered in a similar style, with each day of the month framed in a little box with these adorable little animals interspersed among the numbers. There is a real charming, hand-made quality that speaks to the process and labour that went into creating it.